Expert offers insight into groundhog life

Thursday

Jan 31, 2013 at 12:01 AMJan 31, 2013 at 6:25 PM

People across the world will gather Saturday morning to watch television and see if famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil sees its shadow. The folktale is said to be able to predict whether six more weeks of winter weather is coming down the pike.

Wade Allen / wallen@gastongazette.com

People across the world will gather Saturday morning to watch television and see if famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil sees its shadow. The folktale is said to be able to predict whether six more weeks of winter weather is coming down the pike.

But the love for cute animals and an interest in unique holidays is part of what makes Feb. 2, Groundhog Day, so popular.

Children envision the little creature often found alongside roads as warm and cuddly. And the most acclaimed groundhog of all resides in Punxsutawney, Pa., and is launched into superstardom one day each year.

But groundhogs are territorial creatures and like being left alone, according to Mandy Jordan, live animal manager at the Schiele Museum in Gastonia.

The critters, also known as woodchucks, are members of the rodent family and kin to squirrels. They dig burrows into the ground, some reaching 30 feet long with numerous exits in case danger should draw near.

“The burrows are kind of nice actually. They make very nice homes for themselves,” Jordan said. “They actually have like a sleeping room and they’ll have like a toilet room.”

Groundhogs hibernate in the winter, emerging from the ground around the week of Feb. 2, depending on climate conditions.

“They don’t necessarily like the cold weather. Once it starts getting cold, once the daylight hours decrease, they will be sleeping in the winter time,” she said. “The clues for them to kind of wake up and come out of hibernation would be warmer weather.”

Longer days with more sunlight also entice the furry creatures to emerge from their seasonal slumber.

And while some people rely on Punxsutawney Phil’s annual weather prediction, Jordan wouldn’t use it as a reliable source.

“I don’t think it will necessarily be good at predicting the weather,” she said.

Probably the reason locals see groundhogs out and about is because they’re herbivores and enjoy eating grass. And they consume a lot of food.

“I think they’re creatures who like to be left alone is probably a good way to put it. You’re not necessarily going to be able to get close to a groundhog in the wild,” she said. “They have a tendency to protect themselves and their food.”

It’s possible for a groundhog to bite someone who disturbs it. The Schiele Museum doesn’t have a live groundhog on exhibit but Jordan said one could be acquired in the future.